Shaded Seats at Lucas Oil Stadium

What You Need to Know About Shade at Lucas Oil Stadium

Located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, Lucas Oil Stadium is the multi-purpose retractable-roof home of the Indianapolis Colts. Opened in 2008 to replace the RCA Dome, its distinct architectural style features a red brick and limestone exterior designed to pay homage to classic Indiana high school fieldhouses.

The stadium is famous for its massive 100-foot by 244-foot retractable roof and a giant operable glass window on the north end zone that showcases panoramic views of the Indianapolis skyline. When weather permits an open-roof game, the sun streams in intensely, making a strategic seat choice in the south end zone or the southern ends of each sideline to stay cool.

The South and West Sides Are Best For Shade

The northeast-to-southwest orientation of the stadium means the sun tracks across the southern horizon and drops behind the home side. Because of this, you want to prioritize the south end zone and west sideline seating.

• Sections 124 – 129: Opting for these lower seats on the south end zone ensures you step into early-afternoon shadow as the sun moves.
• Sections 223 – 230, 323 – 330, & 423 – 430: Booking mid-level tickets in the south end zone guarantees that the towering stadium wall keeps the sun’s rays securely behind you throughout the entire day.

• Sections 524 – 529 & 624 – 629: Choosing seats on the high South Terrace and Loge levels has you safely covered by the roof overhang, keeping you entirely out of the sun’s path.

• Sections 132 – 137, 231 – 237, 331 – 337, 431 – 437, 531 – 537, 631 – 637: These seats on the west sideline (closer to south end zone) will also enjoy shade for the majority of the early afternoon and into the evening.
• Sections 116 – 121, 216 – 222, 316 -322, 416 – 422, 516 – 522, 616 – 622: Similarly, sticking to the south side of the east sideline will also give shade throughout gameday.

Late Afternoon And Evening

As a 1:00 PM kickoff heads into the second half or a late afternoon game gets underway, the sun sinks low into the western sky.

The shadow from the massive west grandstand rapidly extends across the turf, completely blanketing the Colts Sideline and the entire lower bowl in refreshing shade. Meanwhile, the lower rows of the east side finally start getting ground-up relief as the shadow climbs the stands.

However, the upper tiers of the East Sideline and sections near the open north window remain highly vulnerable to late-day solar glare.